Water heater



April 28, 1925.

W. E. BEILMN WATER HEATER Filed July E', 1924 al u r r 4 Y Fm mann?.

Patented Apr. 28, 1925.

WILLIAM E. BEILBULN,` OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

.WATER HEATER.

Application filed July 5,

To (r/Z tti/m if may concern.' 3e it known that l', lViLiiiAM E. BnnarAN, a citizen oi" the United States, and residing at Buffalo, in the county ot Erie and State ot New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in `ll'later Heaters, oi which the following is a specification.

. This invention relates to improvements in water heaters ot' the type employing' a thermostatically operated regulator for controlling the supply ot 'uel to the burners in accordance with the temperature of the water.

The principal obj ectot this invention is to improve the construction and arrangement ot the automatic fuel-controlling` valve with a view ot eliminating the possible Aformation otl dust, scale or other foreign matter on the valve and its seat.

Another object is the provision oil an automatic water heater which is simple and compact in construction, which is quick and positive in action, and which can be readily adjusted to any degree of temperature desired. f

A still further object ot the invention is to so construct the pilot valve ot the burner as to make it impossible. tor anyone by adjustment, or by its own action, to close o'l entirely the iiow ot gas thereto.

ln the accoi'npanying drawings:

Figure 1 a perspective view ot a water heater embodying my improvements. Figure 2 is an enlarged transverse-vertical section of the automatic gas control valve and associated parts. Figure 3 `is a fragmentary transverse section of the burner and associated parts taken substantially in the plane ot line 8-3, Fig. 2.

Similar characters o'lI reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

Referring more particularly to F ig. 1, 10 indicates a cylindrical casing or jacket .in which is mounted a water reservoir or boiler 11 having an inlet or cold water supply pipe 12 and an outlet or hot water supply pipe 13. the lower portion of the casing beneath tne reservoir are the customary main gas burners 14 and the pilot burner 15, the tormervbeng connected to a gas pipe 16 havingl a valve 17, and the latter being connected to a gas pipe lcontaining a` valve 19. A thermostat pipe 20 is arranged in an upright position between the gas pipes 1G, 18, and communicates w1th the bottom ot the reservoir through a branch pipe 21, whereby the wa- 1924. serial no. 724,490.

ter in the `reservoir is tree to circulate through the thermostat pipe. A suitable thermostat tube 22 is suspended in the pipe 2() and extending therethrough is a valve-operating rod L3 which is rigidly secured to the lower end thereof' so that it is moved in one direction or the other in response to the expansion and contraction of the tube. The upper ends of the gas pipe 16, 18, the thermostat pipe 20 and tube 2l are connected to the bottom side of a suitable valve casing 24 provided in its top at one side thereotwith a gas inlet pipe 25 and on opposite sides ot its bottom with gas outlet ports 26, 2T which communicate with said pipes 1G, 18, respectively, for supplying gas to the corresponding burners 14 and 15.

Arranged within the casing 24 is a downwardly-closing valve member or lever 2S ful'- crumed at one end on a suitable bracket 2S), while its other end `is provided with an annular valve tace or head adapted to engage a correspondingly-shaped seat 31 extending around the gas 4port 26 leading to the main burners 14. A spring `bearing on the upper side ot the valve-head acts to normally resist opening or' the valve. The latter is thermostatically controlled and is adapted to be opened or closed by the operating rod 23 connected to the thermostat tube 22. For this purposethe upper end of said rod is provided with a detachable stem or eXtension 33 which may be screwed or otherwise adjustably connected thereto and which extends upwardly through an opening- 34 in the lever 28 intermediate the ends ther-coi", as shown in Fig. An upwardly-facing shoulder on this rod-stem bears on the underside of the valve-lever to effect the opening and closing thereotl in response to the contraction and expansion ot' the thermostat tube 22. The stem 33 is guided in an opening' 36 in the top of the valve-casing 24 and terminates at its upper end in a reduced shank 37 for receiving a suitable tool for turning it and adjusting the valve 28. A cap 38 may be employed for enclosing the projected end ot' the valve-operating stem.

Then the thermostat tube 22 expands from I the action otl the heated water in the pipe 20, the rod 23 is moved downwardly, thereby allowing the valve 28 to move downwardly accordingly until it engages its seat 31 and shutting otl' the supply ot' fuel to the main burners 14. lVhen the water cools, the thermostat tube contracts, raising the rod 23 to e'lfect the opening of the valve, and allowing the luel to be again admitted to the main burners.

By constructing and arranging the valve 28 in this manner, danger of dust, scale and other foreign matter lodging on the valveliace and its seat is eliminated7 thereby insuring proper closing of the valve at all times and preventing leakage of the gas when the valveisin its closed position. lVhen the valve is in its open position, it allows full opening ot the port 26 leading to the main burners 1.4, affording a maximum supply of gas when desired to promptly heat the water in the reservoir.

The amount ot gas admitted to the pilot burner l5 is also regulated by the rod 23 in accordance with the temperature ot' the water in the boiler 1l. To this end, the pilot burner supply pipe 18 is provided at its lower end with a valve casing 39 having a transverse inlet port 40 therein which communicates with an upright gas passage al connected with the branch pipe 1S1 leading directly to the pilot. burner. The inlet port -ltl is controlled by a pilot valve l2 movable lengthwise in the passage il, its upper end extending through the valve casing 39 and connected by an adjustable coupling 4B with the lower end of the valveoperating rod 23. This pilot valve is moved in unison with the main valve 28 back and torth past the port 40 by said valve-operating rod under the action ot' the thermostat and regulates the size ot' this port in accordance with the temperature ot the water. The pilot valve is preferably so adjusted upon the actuating rod that a movement ot the latter, sufficient to close the valve 2S, will not move said pilot valve a suiiicient distance to completely close the port 40 and a limited amount o't gas will be supplied to the pilot burner so it will not go out7 after the supply to the main burners has been entirely shut ot.

In order to guard against the supply of gas to the pilot burner being entirely shut ott', due to an incorrect adjustment ot the pilot valve 42 through the medium ot' the coupling 43, or by its own action, the passage ll is preferably provided in its side wall below the port 4t) with a by-pass itt which permits gas to iiow from said port to the branch pipel 18 and thence to the pilot burner, even though the pilot valve extends fully across the inlet port.

The main bnrners let are tubular. and as shown in Figs. l and il, each terminates at its upper end in a substantially V-shaped head or tip 45 which divides the tlame. resulting in complete combustion otl the fuel. increasing the etliciency ot' the heating. and affording a saving in tuel consumption.

The pilot burner l5 is likewise tubular. and is preferably provided near its lower end with an air inlet which is connected b v an air tube 4t? with the atmosphere. the cuter end ot' the latter extending through the adjacent portion ot the heater casing lt). K v this arrangement` a steady blue flame issues troni the mouth of the burner-tube and the objection o't' the gas burning in the tube and producing a yellow flame at the outlet is eliminated.

I claim as my invention:

l. In a water heater, the combination oll a casing` a reservoir mounted in said casing, main and secondary gas burners arranged in the casing below said reservoir. main and secondary valves tor controlling the supply ot' gas to said main and secondary burners, the secondary burner having an air inlet communicating with the atn'iosphere exterior ot said casingy and thermostatic means tor operating said valves.

2. In a water heater, the combination ot a casing, a reservoir mounted in said casing, main and seconda-ry gas burners arranged in the casing below said reservoir` main and secondary valves 'for controlling the supply of gas to said main and secondary burners, the secondary burner having an air inlet below the outlet end thereof. an air tube arranged between the burner and said casing for connecting said burner inlet with the atmosphere, and thermostatie means for operating said valves.

June 27, 1924.

VILLI AM la, BEILMAN.

till 

